


what if you let them in on the lie?

by charjace



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fake Marriage, Friends Concerned for Other friends, Implied Cheating but it's NOT, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Mike & Bill are married, Polyamory, Richie & Ben are Married, Richie tries to be protective
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:34:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22260385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charjace/pseuds/charjace
Summary: they had been sating since they were twenty seven years old, been married since they were thirty two - but still, there was a secret that they kept from even those close to them. but, the cat has to come out of the bag at some point, now in their forties, they're finding the cat scratching it's way out
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak & Beverly Marsh, Eddie Kaspbrak/Stanley Uris, Patricia Blum Uris/Stanley Uris, Patty Blum/Beverly Marsh
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	what if you let them in on the lie?

The apartment that they shared wasn’t much, but it was enough for the both of them. They never really needed much, nor did they truly care too much about all those fancy things. Sure, they owned some; a few expensive rings, necklaces and a painting that hung in the master bedroom that they shared. They’ve been living together for ten years now, and it’s great. She would end up waking first, taking the first shower of the day, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead luring him awake with a promise of something cooked for breakfast before they headed off to their jobs. Most nights, he’d get home before she did and ends up cooking them dinner, and at night they’d just watch whatever they can find on tv or on one of the streaming sights and laugh and talk until they fell asleep.

Their relationship, it had come as a shock to all of their friends but there was something their friends didn’t know about their relationship. They had started dating when they were twenty-seven years old, moved in together three years later and got married a few years later.

There are things their friends don’t know, things that a few years ago, only a few of them found out about. The swore they wouldn’t let anyone know – so, they hadn’t.  But, the cat has got to come out of the bag at some point doesn’t it?

“What is  _ this _ ?” Ben asks as he drops a magazine in front of Eddie, the page opened up to a spread of celebrity gossip. Eddie looked over to see the page, they were waiting on the rest of their friends because they had organized lunch together because everyone’s scheduled finally collided well.

When Eddie looks over the page, he takes in the images – a few celebrities and their dogs, or their spouses, or whatever. Then, he thinks he’s found what the hell Ben was talking about – and Ben’s patience seems to be thin right now, because he stabs his finger at the image of what looks like him and Stan kissing – and well,  _ that _ is what it was.

“What? Me and Stan hung out, is that not allowed?” Eddie remarks, hitching an eyebrow slightly, grabbing the coffee he had already ordered. The  _ cling _ of his ring sounding rather loud in his ears right now, he shouldn't feel guilty – he shouldn’t. It’s not like he’s cheating.

_ “You’re cheating on Bev!” Stan yells at Eddie after pulling him outside from the bar, Stan and Patty were meeting up with a few of Stan’s workmates and their partners, when Stan had spotted Eddie clearly flirting back with a stranger. Stan had excused himself from Patty, before marching over to Eddie, and now here they stand. “How could you  _ do that _ to her?” _

_ Tears start to build up in Eddie’s eyes, he was cornered and there were only two ways out of this, lying or telling the truth. Neither looked like good options to him. He never understood why though, because none of the other Losers were straight, yet – he can’t bring himself to let the truth he knows deep down in him. The truth buried under all his mother's words, under the taunts of the school bullies, under the punches and bruises given to him by  _ Henry  _ all through his high school years. They were still  _ _ affecting _ _ him, so many years later. _

_ “Eddie? You need to explain why you would hurt Bev like this,” Stan says, “Because there is no way I’m keeping this from her.” _

_ “I’m not cheating,” Eddie finally manages to say, his voice quiet as he lets the words fall past his lips. He brings a hand up to wipe at the tears that were trying to spill from his eyes, “I’m... It’s fake... the whole...um...” He’s trying to find the words he needs, but his brain is failing, and he just wants to cry – Stan might hate him now. _

_ “Relationship?” Stan asks, raising an eyebrow and when Eddie gives a small nod of his head – Stan's features softened a little, “Why?” _

_ The question is asked, like the answer was known but it just needed to be confirmed. A sob left Eddie’s lips as the tears fell down, Stan reached over to pull Eddie close to him, holding him in a tight embrace. Eddie can tell that Stan knows  _ why _ , that Eddie doesn’t really have to say it, but if he did it might make his life a little bit easier to deal with if he had one more person to count on. After a few moments he speaks again, “I’m gay.” _

_ Stan was the second person that Eddie has told that truth too, Beverly being the first. Eddie ends up joining Patty and Stan, talking away and they took him home. At home, Beverly and Eddie told them all about their relationship. _

_ “ _ That doesn’t look like just hanging out,” Richie spoke as he took a seat next to Ben, raising an eyebrow at Eddie. “Looks like you two were making out. What will the missus say, huh? Let’s ask  her, shall we? Hey! Bev!”

Eddie turns his head around, to see Bev walking in from outside – Bev smiles and waves, making her way over, and then Eddie can see the slight change in the way her face shifts to hidden worry as she looks at his face. She takes her seat next to Eddie, giving his hand a squeeze as she intertwined their fingers together, “Hey  Trashmouth , Ben,” Her eyes then fall down onto the magazine in front of them, Ben’s finger still pointing at the image. “Someone should fire that photographer; bad angles can cause so much trouble. You aren’t  accusing Eddie or Stan of cheating, are you?”

“It  kinda looks like they’re...”

“You should know how they work by now, exploiting wrong moments, out of context, come on now – don't you fall for it too,” Bev states, giving a pointed look at Richie, who has had his fair share of rumours spread around in the magazines. “If you think Eddie, or Stan would cheat, leave now.”

The two boys didn’t say anything else on it, and Ben put away the magazine, but for the whole lunch, Eddie found himself avoiding looking at Stan the whole time. He’s not guilty, Stan’s not guilty. Their friends just, they just don’t know the finer details of what was going on.

_ Beverly was looking between the two sitting in front of her, her jaw dropping just a little at what they had just proposed. It’s been a month since Patty and Stan found out the true nature of her and Eddie’s marriage. Now, here they were sitting in the Uris house at the dinner table, and they had just been randomly talking when Patty started asking questions. Ones that both she and Eddie dreaded would happen if their  _ _ relationship's _ _ truth came out, but the way it ended, wasn’t how either of them saw it. _

_ “You what?” Beverly questions, her grip on her wine glass was tight – like she was thinking this was a dream. There was no way this was happening right? She glanced over at Eddie, his face was pretty much saying how she felt. Confused, and like this was some weird dream  _ _ ( or _ _ maybe it was a fantasy ). _

_ “Want to date you,” Patty says in response, gaining Beverly’s attention back to her, “And Stan, Eddie. It’d be like... a polyamorous relationship. That is, if you guys would like that. It’s okay if you don’t.” _

_ “Can we, think about it?” Eddie asks, taking a big gulp of his drink. Beverly does the same, when they get home, they were most likely going to be staying up way too late talking about this. _

_ “Of course, we don’t expect an answer right away,” Patty speaks in a soft voice, as if she was talking to a scared child, “We just thought we’d offer, we’ve talked about it ourselves. If you two agree, we can talk about it more.” _

He was sitting at the counter in Richie and Ben’s kitchen, their cat rubbing itself against his legs. Fork poking at the food on his plate, Richie had called him over saying he wanted help with a special gift for Ben, who left for a work trip after their lunch. Only, it was a lie. Eddie had been greeted with a,

“What the  _ fuck _ did you do?” Richie had stated, before leading Eddie into the kitchen – there were two plates and Eddie had sat himself down. He had taken a few bites, before Richie had spoken again, “Dude, I want the truth. That image is what it says it is right?”

He no longer felt hungry, so he just started to poke at his food, just pushing it around on the plate. Eddie knows that avoiding the question, would lead to more accusations – but answering it, he’ll be called a liar. It’s quiet, and Eddie can’t break it.

“Eddie? Are you and Stan, having an affair? Because, today Stan left lunch feeling like  _ shit,”  _ Richie says after a while, and Eddie’s head snaps up.

Guilt etches into Eddie’s face, but this guilt? He feels like he deserves to feel it. Stan had been next to him at lunch, and Eddie knows he didn’t do any of the subtle things he usually does when he’s next to Stan. The small touches, ones none of their friends think too much about. They’re all subtle about it in public. Subtle like when Bev pushes Patty’s hair back off of her face, when Stan let’s Eddie into his personal bubble where others aren’t allowed, the way Patty holds into Bev a little longer when they hug, the way Eddie looks at Stan just that bit too much.

“Shit, I need to call him,” Eddie says, pulling out his phone, only for it to be snatched by Richie. He needs to explain, he needs to apologise.

“Not until you tell me what the  _ fuck _ made Stan so upset. There are only a few people who know when he is upset but tries to hide it, and I’m one of them,” Richie informs Eddie, Eddie knew there was no luck in trying to get his phone. Richie was taller than him, and he knew Richie wouldn’t hesitate to hold it out of his reach even more then he was now. “I tried to get him to tell me, he told me he was fine. Like he didn’t know I know when he was lying. Then, I remembered the photo... I said your name and he froze for a bit, before dismissing it as me seeing things. What’s got him like this?”

“Because I was overthinking  _ every _ movement I made, that I...”  _ Closed myself off to Stan, all because of that stupid photo, because I was scared that you and Ben would take any touch we made, as proof. That you and Ben might expose us and we’d have to explain... that I’d have to say those words to everyone and I’m not ready. It’s been years and I’m still not fucking ready _ . “You know what Rich? This is a problem between me and  _ Stan _ , not me and you. Give me my phone, and I’ll go talk to him.”

Eddie held out his hand for Richie to hand over his phone, Eddie glared at Richie until the phone was in his hand.

“You going to stay to finish your food?” Richie asks, but Eddie was already out the door,  dialling up Stan’s number.

_ They were on a double date, it was a nice restaurant that one of Patty’s co-workers had suggested because they had wanted to try something new, for this whole new relationship they were in. It’s only been four months now, but they were all still trying to figure out the ins and outs. They were having fun with it though. Everyone talked about their days, about what was going to happen tomorrow – and planning a day for the four of them on the weekend. _

_ Now, they were all curled up together on Beverly and Eddie’s bed. Patty was curled in on Bev as Bev ran her fingers through Patty’s hair, while Eddie wrapped him arms around Stan, his head resting on Stan’s chest, himself being held by Stan’s arms. _

_ Eddie was falling asleep, being like this was so content and he felt so happy and there was a part of him that felt relieved. He isn’t entirely too sure why. Maybe It's because someone else knows about him, about him and Bev and they don’t hate him. Maybe It's because he no longer fears flirting with anyone and having people  _ _ ( the _ _ paparazzi; mainly ) calling him a cheater if they caught him doing anything with someone. Maybe it's because he no longer has to worry about his partner hating being hidden, because Stan understands – and so does Patty. He loves them, he really does. _

_ “I love you,” Eddie’s tired voice mumbles out as he finds himself falling asleep. There was something different in the way the words were spoken. They had all heard it, the slight difference in the way it was meant. They’ve all said the words,  _ I love you _ , to each other, to their friends because they mean it. They all love each other – but, there was something deeper in the way it sounded coming from Eddie’s tired lips. _

_ Stan pressed a soft kiss to Eddie’s head, a little smile upon his lips, “I love you too.” _

Stan and Eddie had talked about what had happened, Eddie letting so many apologies run off of his tongue. The guilt he felt flowing out of him, he never meant to make Stan feel that way, he would never do that. Eddie was extremely sorry, and told Stan what Ben had shown him before everyone else had arrived. Stan had given a small nod of his head in understanding.

Stan knew that Eddie was scared of letting the others know, not just about them – but of the other thing that comes with admitting it. He also knew that the others had always suspected that Eddie wasn’t as straight as he claimed to be, but he never told Eddie that – and none of the Losers ever pressured Eddie into saying anything on his sexuality. That is probably why they didn’t look too much into his and Beverly’s relationship; because they all knew if Eddie would fall for a girl – it'd be Beverly.

“I’m sorry,” Eddie’s what feels like hundredth apology floating in the air after he’s aired everything out that has happened in the span of twenty-four hours. Stan steps closer to Eddie, pulling him into a hug, as Eddie lets out another apology.

Pressing a soft kiss to the top of Eddie’s head, Stan pulls back slightly to look at him, “Tomorrow, we can go to the park – someone spotted a new bird. Me, and you can go together, a way to make up for what happened?”

Eddie’s face broke into a small smile, and he gives a small nod of his head. Glad that they could talk it out, that they were okay. Stan presses a soft kiss to Eddie’s lips, “I would have said something, I just needed to think before talking to you okay. I wouldn’t ever let you think I’m mad at you, Richie was just meddling because his husband is out of town.”

“Or you know, he cares about you Stan,” Eddie replies, and Stan gives a knowing smile. Stan of course knew that Richie cares about him, they all cared about each other, it’s why they’ve all been friends for so many years.

They end up falling asleep on the couch, Patty walking in to them cuddled up on the couch. She sent a quick text to Bev, with a photo of how cute they were. She pressed a soft kiss to their foreheads, she set up everyone’s sleepwear before waking up the boys and telling them it’d be better for them to sleep on a bed, and to change into the clothes she set out.

_ It was a nice day out in New York, Bev had taken Patty with her for Fashion Week – the rest of their friends thinking it’s just a girl’s get away, but the girls new better, and so did their husbands – but it’s not like they minded. They had been touchy feely with each other, holding hands and whispering in each other's ears. _

_ In the privacy of their hotel, they would share kisses. Bev would pull Patty in close to her, smiling and laughing a little as they swayed to the music. Patty would press her forehead against Bev’s, singing the song in such a soft, quiet voice that Bev’s heart couldn’t help but melt. Their lips would meet in sweet kisses, different flavoured lip  _ _ balms _ _ mixing, making a new beautiful taste. _

_ Laying on the hotel bed, with Patty’s head on her shoulder – Bev would run her fingers through Patty’s hair, while Patty would press soft kisses to her collar bone. _

A month after the image appeared in the magazine, Eddie hasn’t spent any time on social media, trying to avoid it the best he can. Beverly has been ignoring questions on it, she doesn’t feel the need to address something she knows about. To let the  world know about her private life, about Eddie’s, Stan’s or Patty’s - but that never stopped the rumour mill from running. They would do what they could to find out what they could. All the sources were fake, their friends would never do that.

Two months after, and Eddie thought it was over – until he was at Mike and Bill’s place, Bill had called an emergency ‘Losers Club’ meeting. A Losers Club meeting meant something big has happened, that someone might be in trouble or hurt. Eddie and Bev were the last to arrive, as they were the furthest away from Mike and Bill.

When Eddie and Bev walked in, they noticed that Stan and Patty were sitting on the couch – while, everyone else was standing. Bill told them to take a seat on the couch. So, they did – they were confused, and it seemed that so were Stan and Patty. Stan was holding onto Patty’s hand, and she was pressing herself close to Stan, like she was scared.

“What’s going on here?” Bev asks, looking at the other boys standing opposite them. That was when Richie pulled out a bunch of magazines pages and printed photos from the bag he had slung across his body. 

Confusion settled onto the features of those on the couch, Bev leant forward – picking up a few of the pages. Some of these articles were old, a few years old. There were ones from the first Fashion Week she brought Patty with her. Images of her and Patty, the one of Stan and Eddie a few months ago. Of ones that she’s never seen before, of all of them.

“I don’t know, you tell us. As far  was _ we _ know,” Mike says, gesturing between him, Bill, Richie and Ben, “You, Bev are married to Eddie, and you, Stan are married to Patty. But these... these photos say otherwise. What’s going on?”

Mike’s voice wasn’t accusatory, it was more curious and wonder, with what some might call hurt. A hurt that his friends wouldn’t come to him, or anyone else about this. Eddie was sitting between Bev, and Patty – and both women reached their hands out, holding his hand and giving them a squeeze.

“It’s complicated, and,” Bev looks at Eddie, who throws his head back a little and gives a light nod. “I guess we can’t keep it from you guys forever.”

“Keep what?” Bill questions, raising an eyebrow slightly – he thinks he knows, but there was some part of him, a part he shares with Richie, Mike and Ben, that feel like they’re missing some key points, that they don’t have the full picture.

Eddie sits himself up, the girls' hands still holding onto his, he should start with this – then they can work their way through all the questions. “I'm gay,” It was a start,  no matter where they started – everything would be coming out into the open.

“What? But you’ve been with Bev for over ten years?” Mike asks, brows frowning in confusion.

“How long have you known?” Richie questions, his head tilted just a little.

“I think I knew at like  twenty five , but... didn’t accept right away,” He’s never really  _ truly _ accepted it, he’s pushed it away for most of his life – it had only been a few years ago when he felt he was even confidant enough to actually start to try something with another guy. That had also been when Stan had saw him.

“But-”

“I’ve known this whole time, I’ve been okay with it,” Bev intervenes, and they went into how despite how  _ none _ of the other Losers were straight, Eddie couldn’t find it in himself to tell them. How they still love each other, how it has not at all put a strain on their friendship. How, a few years ago Stan had caught Eddie trying to flirt with a guy. How it then ended up with them, months later in a polyamorous relationship, with Stan and Patty who still very much love each other, who also are dating Bev and Eddie. With Bev being Patty’s other partner, and Eddie being Stan’s.

There were still so many questions to answer, and they all did their best answer. Later that night, when they all went home, Bev, Stan, Eddie and Patty all curled up together on Stan and Patty’s bed, and they started to plan on moving into _ one _ place.

A year after their friends found out the truth, they were more open with their relationship – they weren’t as subtle anymore. When leaving the group lunch, Stan would press a kiss to Patty and Eddie before he left to go back to his job. Bev would lay herself over Patty at movie nights, while Eddie was doing the same to Stan. They would switch around partners in those stupid couple games, enjoying the looks on their friends faces as they wait to find out which pair is going to come out of the bunch. They stopped trying to hide it, especially from their friends – because they have their friends support.


End file.
